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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24186598">Nightmares</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolpointsetta/pseuds/coolpointsetta'>coolpointsetta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bumblebee and Smokescreen are ex's, Bumblebee is baby, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Smokescreen just wants to help, mentions of war and trauma, they're still friends tho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:07:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24186598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolpointsetta/pseuds/coolpointsetta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bumblebee's nightmares were nothing new, but that didn't make them any easier.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(mentioned) - Relationship, (past), Arcee/Smokescreen (Transformers), Bumblebee/Smokescreen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone! This is my first fic so I just wanted to start off with a little bit of fluff. This is a ship I used to love, but now I just don't see them together anymore, but I did want to just give them a moment because I totally think they still have a nice brotherly-sorta dynamic on the team.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Smokescreen gave a content sigh as he curled up further into his blankets. He had just returned from a basic patrol with Wheeljack to scout for more Predacon bones and or energon, but they had been caught in the thick of a rainstorm, much to their dismay. So after a quick hot shower, Smokescreen was now cuddling up in his warm blankets, which is just what he needed. </p>
<p>        Smokescreen knew he had another patrol with Ultra Magnus at about two thirty, but it was currently only midnight, so he could still get some decent hours of sleep in before he had to leave.  Team Prime had been scattered pretty thin lately in their desperate attempts to find all of the Predacon bones on Earth to try and stop the Decepticons from making more of the terrible beasts. Ultra Magnus had tried enforcing patrols every hour -Optimus had to force him to go every other hour for the sake of saving energon and giving everyone a chance to recover- and as much as Smokescreen loved bashing in Vehicon faces and slowing down the Cons' big plans, he really did need sleep. Smokescreen felt a smile settle onto his face as he felt recharge start to creep into the edges of his optics. </p>
<p>	Smokescreen's small piece of heaven was shattered as he heard a loud series of knocks on the door. Smokescreen cracked open one optic but didn't move, hoping whoever was on the other side would take the hint and walk away. No such luck happened when the same series of knocks sounded, a little harder this time. </p>
<p>	"Coming, coming," Smokescreen realized that could have been Ultra Magnus and sprang out of the bed -maybe his clock had been off or something and it was time to go on patrol- walking sluggishly towards the door. "But sir, isn't it only midnight-" Smokescreen opened his door, staring in shock at who was really there. "Oh, hi Bumblebee." </p>
<p>	Bumblebee beeped a greeting, fidgeting with his servos. Clearly he was just as surprised he was standing outside Smokescreen's door as Smokescreen was. The blue bot shifted out of the way, gesturing to the berth room. "Want to come in?" </p>
<p>	Bumblebee nodded and walked past him, but the awkward tension hung in the air like a fog. Smokescreen tried to ignore it, but somehow that only made it worse. </p>
<p> Smokescreen and Bumblebee had been somewhat of an item on and off since Smokescreen had arrived almost a year ago now, bonding originally over their love of high speeds and war stories, but it eventually blossomed into something more than a friendship. They'd interfaced once or twice and had done plenty of cute, relationship things, but they had never put an official label on it. They had never denied or disproved any rumors either, but never became fully official. But no matter what, even at their happiest, something never felt quite right to Smokescreen; something was always missing. </p>
<p>	They called off their relationship so many times they could barely keep track of when they were together. Sometimes when they called it off, it was because they were worried about it affecting their emotions in battle, or other times it would be over stupid things like video games or driving the kids to school in the morning. But two weeks ago, they decided they would be done for good when Bumblebee figured out a secret Smokescreen had tried to hard to hide from him: he was developing feelings for Arcee. </p>
<p>	The pair had argued into the late hours of the night, going back and forth about what was right in this situation and what was wrong. Eventually, after many tears were shed, they agreed that their relationship just wasn't meant to be, so they called it off. They weren't idiots -despite what Ratchet liked to say- and they knew it might get awkward, so they promised to remain friends, and they promised to put forth the effort needed to keep it that way. They didn't spend a lot of extra time around each other, and there always had to be at least one Bot with them in order for them to have a civil conversation, but they put their feelings aside on patrols and missions, and they still worked very well together. Smokescreen, on his part, flirted with Arcee when Bumblebee wasn't around to see it. </p>
<p>	"Are you okay, Bee?" Smokescreen asked, closing the door and sitting down on his berth, motioning for Bumblebee to do the same. The black and yellow scout hesitated before he gave in, sitting down beside Smokescreen. There was still a decent gap between them, but if Smokescreen tried he could easily wrap his arm around Bumblebee's far shoulder. </p>
<p>	Bumblebee nodded at first before he was suddenly shaking his head, his optics whirring as they adjusted to the dim light. :No…: Bumblebee said at last. :I had another nightmare…: And that was the only explanation Smokescreen needed to hear. </p>
<p>	Waking up at all hours of the night with vivid dreams of the war or the whole team dying in front of them wasn't uncommon in the base, it happened to at least one Bot every night. But Bumblebee had terrible nightmares. He would relive the worst parts of his past: Megatron ripping his voice box out, watching all of his best friends die over and over again. </p>
<p> Smokescreen had been with him a few times when he had woken up a screaming, crying, incoherent mess, and it scared the rookie every time. </p>
<p>	It hurt Smokescreen more than it should, watching Bumblebee cry and attempt to speak, as if he still could. They might be ex's, but Smokescreen would never let that get in the way of something as terrible as this. Bumblebee needed him. </p>
<p> Smokescreen sent a quick message to Arcee to let her know that Bumblebee would most likely be spending the night, just in case she came to wake him up in the morning and found them together; she wouldn't think anything of it. He also sent a quick message to Bulkhead asking if he would take his patrol in a few hours. Bulkhead replied instantly -he must have been awake from when Wheeljack got home- saying he would be happy to, as long as Smokescreen covered for him later in the day. Smokescreen agreed and turned his full attention back to Bumblebee. </p>
<p>	The blue bot wrapped his arm around Bumblebee, pulling the scout closer when he didn't object. He rubbed careful circles up and down Bumblebee's door wings, and the scout beeped, relaxing into Smokescreen's side. "Do you want to talk about it?" Smokescreen asked carefully, giving Bumblebee permission to stop him at any time. </p>
<p>	:No, not tonight.: Bumblebee said after a few moments. He seemed calmer than past nightmares; he had been able to walk down the hall to Smokescreen's room and was forming coherent sentences, though the evidence of tears was still apparent on his face plates. Smokescreen nodded. </p>
<p>	"Okay then, silence or story?" He asked calmly, not pushing him any further. </p>
<p>	:Story.: Bumblebee said, finally looking up at Smokescreen. :Can I sleep here tonight?: </p>
<p>	Smokescreen gave him a small smile. "Of course, Bee." Smokescreen shifted and allowed Bumblebee to lay down first, and worked himself around the small scout. Bumblebee settled for being the little spoon and Smokescreen curled over his back, mindful of his door wings. One of Smokescreen's arms was placed over Bumblebee's shoulder, and the other was now tracing calming circles on his back between his door wings. Smokescreen smiled again and racked his brain for a story good enough for Bumblebee. Something that was happy and bright from before the war, something that didn't make Bumblebee think of everything horrible in his life. </p>
<p>	"Did I ever tell you about the time I pranked my teacher so bad they had to close the school for three days?" Smokescreen asked, and he felt Bumblebee laugh, his field warming and a small beep escaping his voice box. </p>
<p>	:Yeah, you did Smokey: Bumblebee said. </p>
<p>	"What about the time I got Prowl and Bluestreak to join in?" Smokescreen tried again, and Bumblebee shook his head; he hadn't heard this one yet. </p>
<p>	Smokescreen talked and talked and talked, making sure to add extra details and humor for Bumblebee's benefit, if nothing else so there could be white noise for him. Occasionally, Bumblebee grabbed onto Smokescreen's servo like a vice when a bad memory or vision came to his brain, so Smokescreen stopped his story and whispered in a calm voice to Bumblebee, simple things like "I'm here" and "you're safe" and "He can't hurt you now." Bumblebee would take a few deep breaths and calm down, and Smokescreen could continue his story. </p>
<p>	When Smokescreen finished his story and several others, it was almost an hour and a half later, and Bumblebee's breathing had evened almost completely. Smokescreen knew the scout was still awake, but much more calm and relaxed now. He spoke up for the first time in a while. </p>
<p>	:Thanks Smokey, I needed this: He said, his beeps slowed by sleep. </p>
<p>	Smokescreen smiled back, his own optics drooping in sleep. "Anytime, Bee." </p>
<p>	Bumblebee surprised him when he added, :I'm glad we're still friends, Smokescreen.: He said quietly. Smokescreen lifted his head in surprise, but Bumblebee was already fast asleep. </p>
<p>	"Me too, Bee." Smokescreen said, laying his head back down. He sighed contently, closing his optics again. "I needed this too." Smokescreen fell into recharge to the sound of his and Bumblebee's synchronized breathing, a happy smile on his face.</p>
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